Wildcats destroy Dillon, down Beavers 48-20
Wildcat receiver Brayden Stone gets the better of a Dillon defender during the first quarter in Columbia Falls Friday. The Cats downed the Beavers, 48-20. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Wildcat defenders Parker Greene (12), Jason Dobson (27) and Colten McPhee take down Dillon quarterback Justus Peterson Friday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
If the Wildcats had any lingering doubts coming off their season-opening loss to Hamilton, they didn’t let it show Friday as they dominated the visiting Dillon Beavers en route to a 48-20 blowout victory.
The Wildcats amassed 548 yards of total offense in the win, led by running back Colton McPhee’s 214 on 21 carries, including three rushing touchdowns. McPhee also scored on a 24-yard pass from Wildcat quarterback Drew Morgan. Morgan finished the game 12-25 passing for 194 yards and also had touchdown passes to Parker Greene and Brad Nieves.
Dillon had 357 yards of total offense in the loss.
The Wildcats got off to another quick start, scoring the game’s first 21 points, but this time C-Falls was able to hold onto that lead as Dillon could not cut the lead lower than 14 in the second half.
The Dillon defense found itself overmatched from the Cat’s opening drive as a long pass from Morgan to Lane Sapa helped set up an 11-yard touchtown toss to Greene moments later. Auguste Emond added the PAT to put the Wildcats up 7-0 early.
The Wildcat defense held Dillon to a quick three-and-out on the Beavers’ first possession, but Dillon got the ball back with 6:36 to play in the opening quarter on a Morgan fumble.
The Wildcat defense held once again to force a Dillon punt and C-Falls capitalized on its ensuing possession with a 47-yard touchdown run by McPhee to go up 14-0 with 2:32 to play in the opening quarter.
The Cats went up 21-0 early in the second quarter when Morgan found McPhee with a 24-yard scoring pass, but Dillon finally got on the board with a 50-yard run by Zane Johnson with 8:10 to play in the half. After a missed PAT, the Cats led 21-6.
The Beavers had a chance to cut further into the lead on an long pass play, but Joe Clewien knocked the ball away at the goal line and Sapa made the recovery in the end zone to save the touchdown.
The Cats wasted no time marching down the field on their next possession, using a 25-yard reception by Greene to set up a 19-yard touchdown pass from Morgan to Nieves across the middle of the field. Emond’s PAT put the Cats ahead 28-6 at the half.
The Cats added to their lead on their opening possession of the second half as a 19-yard carry by Jack Price helped set up a 5-yard scoring run by McPhee to cap off an 82-yard drive. The PAT was no good and the Cats led 34-6 with 4:36 to play in the third quarter.
The Beavers scored the game’s next 14 points as a fumble by the Cats set up a 27-yard scoring pass from Justus Peterson to Cooper Hoffman with 2:23 to go in the third.
The Cats looked to have scored on a pass from Morgan to Logan Bechtel on their next possession, but the play came back on an offensive interference call. Morgan’s next pass was picked off by the Beavers, setting up a 12-yard scoring pass to cut further into the Wildcat lead. Peterson took the ball in on a 2-point conversion and Dillon cut the lead to 34-20 with 9:31 to play.
It was all Wildcats from there as the trio of McPhee, Morgan and Easton Sempf combined to move the ball 81 yards on just seven plays, resulting in a 10-yard scoring run by McPhee with 7:09 to play.
The final touchdown came on a 3 yard run by McPhee with 4:43 to play.
The Cats will face their first road test of the year Friday as they travel to face the Yellowjackets in Stevensville. Opening kick is set for 7 p.m.